The present invention is related generally to gaming systems and more specifically to a gaming device system and method for awarding payouts and prizes.
Conventional gaming devices for awarding payouts when a wager is taken at a casino for example, are well known. A gaming device uses a random selection process to determine the game outcome of each play of a game. When a gaming device correctly displays at least one randomly predetermined set of indicia, the player is awarded a predetermined payout that is display in a payout schedule.
Conventional gaming devices have a top award called a jackpot that is limited by the probability of aligning a finite number of jackpot indicia. In order for a gaming device to remain profitable over time, the amount of awards multiplied by the probability of winning the awards is less than the average amount wagered in winning the awards. In order for a gaming device to payout a large predetermined jackpot, for example, $100,000, the odds of winning the jackpot must be extremely high in order for the machine to be profitable over time. Because of this, it normally takes long periods of time between large jackpot payouts. Even though players are still attracted to the opportunity of winning a $100,000 dollars, disadvantageously, because of the low frequency of winners and the extremely low probability of winning, players tend to lose interest in playing and tend to move on to games that have a higher frequency of winning a jackpot.
Conventional progressive gaming systems have been used to produce progressive pools, ranging from thousands to millions of dollars by using a progressive gaming system in conjunction with a gaming device or devices. In most of these systems, a number of gaming devices and or location are coupled to a central computer system. As wagers are placed in the gaming devices, a portion of each wager is contributed to at least one progressive pool. As contributions are made to the progressive pool, the size of the pool grows until it is awarded to a player. When the player properly aligns a predetermined set of indicia on the gaming device the entire pool is payment. These progressive amounts are displayed on the gaming device and/or showcased on a display above the individual gaming device or a group of gaming devices.
While the above gaming devices and progressive gaming system with its added progressive pool have proved satisfactory in stimulating game play on the coupled gaming devices, disadvantageously, it has been observed that game play tends to decrease immediately after the total progressive pool has been won. Not until the displayed current pool value increases considerably above the initially reset base value does game play increase to its more usual levels. This fall-off in game play is a result of the players on the gaming devices being reluctant to institute game play when the displayed current pool value is close to the initial base value, since the players know that the value will likely increase to a more substantial level. Fall-off in game play at any time is undesirable and detracts from the benefits of the added progressive gaming system.
It should be observed that increased payoffs are being demanded by the market to maintain and increase player appeal. Nevertheless, the probability of win and payout that allows for a reasonable business profit must be assured to casino owners. Generally the profit-hold objectives before taxes and operational costs that are deducted are in a range as low as 2.7% and generally up to 15%. Hence, the higher payoffs for a winning indicia combination is counterbalanced with less probability for the high win combination of indicia.
Disadvantageously, the probability of hitting a large progressive award on a gaming device i.e., Mega Bucks/IGT xe2x80x9cthe worlds biggest slot Jackpotxe2x80x9d(trademark), is extremely low, thus causing long periods of time to pass by, between winners, of the large progressive award pools. Even though players are still attracted to the chance of winning over a million dollars, because of the low frequency of winners and the extremely low probability of winning, players tend to lose interest in playing and tend to move on to games that have higher odds frequency of winning jackpots.
In addition, progressive pools increase as wagers are placed in the gaming devices, a portion of each wager is contributed to at least one progressive pool. As contributions are made to the progressive pool, the size of the pool grows until it is awarded to a player. Because a portion of the wager from each gaming device is the only way to contribute to the progressive pool, when game play (coin-in) decreases the progressive pool increments at a slower rate, causing less excitement and player appeal. Disadvantageously, because of this and fall-off, progressive pools can remain stagnant for long periods of time creating a loss in revenues for the Gambling Establishments.
Therefore there is a need to resolve the aforementioned disadvantages relating to conventional gaming devices and progressive systems and the present invention meets this need.
Various aspects of the present invention can be found in a random pay gaming method and system (RPGM) as disclosed in the present invention. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method of random payout from a prize pool is disclosed. The method employs one or more gaming devices connected to a controller. When a player bets a proper wager amount, and play is initiated on the gaming device, the player becomes eligible to one or more selected percentages from 0 to 100% of an entire prize pool on any participating gaming device before during or after game play with or without regard to game outcome. The randomly selected percentage may be from progressive or fixed prize pool.
According to an alternate aspect of the present invention, the gaming device is coupled to a progressive prize pool. Upon receiving the proper wager amount, a percentage of each gaming wager from at least one gaming device and/or a percentage of non-gaming revenues e.g., rooms, food, beverage, etc., is contributed to the total progressive pool amount. The monetary prize pool award that the player is eligible to win may or may not be displayed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of random payout from a prize pool is disclosed. The method employs a network having one or more gaming devices communicably coupled to a controller. Among other elements, the method comprises: (1) receiving a wager amount; (2) receiving an input to initiate game play; (3) qualifying the wager amount to win a percentage of the entire prize pool, the percentage of the entire prize pool being a function of a random number; and (4) the win being capable of occurring at the following periods: (a) during game play; or (b) after game play.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises allocating a portion of the wager amount to the progressive prize pool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises allocating a portion of the non-gaming revenues to the progressive prize pool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises displaying a bonus indicia for disguising the percentage of the entire prize pool, the percentage being displayed only after a winning bonus indicia is selected.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: (1) displaying a first payout amount corresponding to a selected winning indicia for the gaming device; and (2) after receiving a wager amount, providing an opportunity to win a second payout amount corresponding to the selected winning indicia.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises incrementing the portion of the wager amount to the progressive prize pool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: (1) selecting a predetermined winning indicia; (2) awarding a predetermined payout amount corresponding to the winning indicia; and (3) awarding the monetary amount for the game play only.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: (1) if a percentage less than 100% is won, reducing the entire progressive prize pool by an amount won to determine an unwon amount; and (2) carrying over the unwon amount for a next opportunity to win a percentage of the progressive prize pool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of random payout from a progressive prize pool is disclosed. The method utilizes one or more video gaming devices with display screens which are coupled to a controller. The method includes: (1) receiving, by the video gaming device, a wager amount; (2) receiving an input to initiate game play; (3) contributing a portion of the wager amount to the progressive prize pool; and (4) qualifying the wager amount to win one or more additional awards from the progressive prize pool without regard to game out come.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises providing a bonus award cycle for displaying the one or more additional awards, the additional awards are selected from the group comprising a bonus award, a non-bonus award and a bonus award cycle terminator.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises displaying the bonus award, the non-bonus award and the bonus award cycle terminator in a disguised manner.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises receiving one or more inputs for selecting as many of the disguised additional awards prior to expiration of the bonus award cycle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the bonus award cycle further comprises: (1) storing a predetermined amount contributed to the progressive pool from the gaming device; (2) triggering a bonus cycle when the predetermined amount is reached.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises determining a bonus award prize percentage from the progressive prize pool; determining the one or more additional awards; and dividing the bonus award prize percentage by a total number of additional awards determined.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises wherein the one or more additional awards displayed are static or dynamic.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of payout from a progressive prize pool is disclosed. The method employing a controller communicably coupled to one or more video gaming devices, the method comprises: a) receiving, by a video gaming device, a wager amount; b) receiving an input to initiate game play; c) allocating a portion of the wager amount to the progressive prize pool; d) displaying a set of one or more award indicia for winning a percentage of the progressive prize pool; e) receiving an input to display an additional set of award indicia; and f) receiving an input for selecting an award indicia, said input providing an opportunity to win a percentage of the progressive prize pool.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: (1) storing a predetermined top award for the fixed prize pool; (2) storing a predetermined average award for the fixed prize pool; and (3) determining the percentage of the entire fixed prize pool in the range of 0-100% based on the top award and the average award.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises: (1) storing a top award win odds for the progressive prize pool; (2) storing a predetermined average award for the progressive prize pool; and (3) determining the percentage of the entire progressive prize pool in the range of 0-100% based on the top award win odds and the average award, such that the percentage selected is less than average contributions to the progressive prize pool in order to increase the progressive prize pool before the entire progressive prize pool is won.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of random payout from a prize pool is taught. The method is for use with at least one gaming device having a jackpot award, the gaming device being communicably coupled to a controller. The method comprises the following: (1) storing a predetermined top award for the prize pool; (2) storing a predetermined average award for the prize pool; and (3) determining a random award percentage in the range of 0-100% based on the top award, the average award, and a function of a random number such that an average of the random award percentages awarded over a number of plays is equal to a design jackpot award corresponding to the jackpot award win odds.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises the random number is in an interval [0,1] inclusive.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method further comprises the function is given by f(x) and is such that for a value xe2x80x9cpxe2x80x9d in the interval [0,1], a sum of expectations for awards for values of xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d less than xe2x80x9cpxe2x80x9d is equal a sum of expectations for awards for values of xe2x80x9cxxe2x80x9d greater than xe2x80x9cpxe2x80x9d and the value of f(p) is equal the desired average of the random award percentages.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system of random payout from a prize pool is disclosed. The system utilizes a one or more gaming devices communicably coupled to a controller. Among other components, the system comprises: (1) a game device for receiving a wager amount; and for receiving an input to initiate game play; (2) means for qualifying the wager amount to win a percentage of the entire prize pool, the percentage of the entire prize pool being a function of a random number; and (3) the win being capable of occurring at the following periods: (a) during game play; or (b) after game play.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system of random payout from a progressive prize pool is disclosed. The system employs one or more video gaming devices with display screens. The video gaming devices are communicably coupled to a controller. Among other components, the system comprises the following: (1) the video gaming device for receiving a wager amount and receiving an input to initiate game play; (2) means for contributing any one or more of a portion of the wager amount and a portion of non-gaming revenues to the progressive prize pool; and (3) means for qualifying the wager amount to win one or more additional awards from the progressive prize pool without regard to game out come.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system of payout from a progressive prize pool is taught. The system employs a controller communicably coupled to one or more video gaming devices. Among other components, the system comprises: a) a video gaming device for receiving a wager amount and receiving an input to initiate game play; b) means for allocating a portion of the wager amount to the progressive prize pool; c) means for displaying a set of one or more award indicia for winning a percentage of the progressive prize pool; d) means for receiving an input to display an additional set of award indicia; and e) means for receiving an input for selecting an award indicia, said input providing an opportunity to win a percentage of the progressive prize pool.
Advantageously, the various embodiments of the present invention stimulate player interest, increase game play to lessen fall-off in progressive game play. Moreover, a larger progressive pool award on gaming devices with higher odds and frequency of winning jackpots is provided, and prize awards, that are hundreds of times greater than originally designed, without changing the odds of existing gaming devices are provided. Further, the present invention allows contribution to a progressive prize pool that will increase even when the gaming device is not being played, and offers progressive pool awards larger than those offered from gaming revenues only.